Shell



1 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\3 v l m m... 4 r a L. COUROUBLE SHELL Filed April 8, 1922 a e a 8 Q 4% i M) wd v V. 4 z B d 5 6 i m April '22 19240 Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES LEON couRoUBLE, on TOURNAI, BELGIUM.

SHELL.

Application filed April 8, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Leon COUROUBLE, residing at Tournai, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new construction of shell. One object of my invention is to reduce the number of parts entering into the construction of the shells which have been used up to the present, to permit of the employment of the same parts in different calibres of projectiles and greatly to simplify the construction.

A further object is to provide every facility for the separate transport of the shell and of its primary'detonator. And a still further object is to procure means for assuring in a shell arranged for explosion by percussion, the certain inflammation of the primary detonator at the end of a certain definite time in the event of the main percussion device which acts by impact, failing to take efi'ect. 7

Finally another, object of my invention consists in providing improved and practical means of safety for ensuring that the shell shall only be rendered active at the moment when it is fired. Moreover, the invention also aims at obtaining at will the explosion of the shell either by instantaneous percussion or with retardation.

With these objects in view my invention essentially consists in special combinations and arrangements ofparts, which will be hereinafter described in detail and specified in the annexed claims.

Referring to the annexed drawings, which show byway of example one way of carryingout the invention:

Figure 1 is a section of a whole of the shell in the position ready for firing.

Figure 2 is a separate view on an enlarged scale of'the lower part of the shell, showing the second detonating device.

Figure 3" is a separate view of an interior sliding tube, which carries the primary charge;

In this drawing (1 indicates the body of the shell, provided at its upper part with a cap 6- in two parts, one of which 6 isscrewed' on to the; upper-end of the shell and maintained in position by means of a fixing screw 6 Wlilll countersunk head, and

the other I) constituting the cap,v isscrewed onto the part b?" at" a certain distance from Serial No. 550,653.

the head of the shell. The shell (1 is traversed throughout its length by a guide tube 0, bearing at one end a screwed part c screwed into the part b of the cap, against which it is supported by a tightening flange 6. The tube 0 rests in its lower part on a plug 9 of elastic material, but sufficiently rigid not to get too much out of shape at the start. At its base, .the shell is provided below the elastic plug 9 with a fuse h containing in a groove i a detonating mix ture. This fuse fits by a double screwthread and is into a seating arranged to receive it in the base of the shell." It is provided with a hollowed out portion Z intended to facilitate the tightening up and extends as at m, to a certain height into the elastic plug 9 so as to ensure a perfect continuity of the fuse channel which will be mentioned below. The groove i communicates in the central part with a conduit 2' which is in the prolongation of the conduit 9 arranged in the elastic plug 9 and ending at a detonator n which will be mentioned hereinafter. The conduits 2' and 9 form a fuse channel'assuring the passage of the flash from the groove 2' to this. det onator n.

The other end of the conduit 2' terminates at 2' in a cavity 2' in the bottom of which is placed a percussion cap 2' fixed on the surface of the fuse is which is in contact with the bottomof the hole in which it is placed.

In the cavity 2' there is screwed a firing screw 2' provided with a detonating cylin- 'der 2' this firing screw 11 is only put in position at the moment of firing and is re placed for transport by an ordinary screw, which closes up the cavity i in which the percussion capi is lodged. This fuse h as it has justbeen described constitutes an auxiliary fuse, the purpose of which will be indicated hereinafter. It does not in reality constitute a device for adjustable time bursting as generally used in shells buta device ensuring at will the bursting of the shell with retardation, in case of failure to burst instantaneously by percussion.

The primary charge intended tobring about the explosion-of. the shell isqcontained in the tube 0 which can slide in the guidetube 0'. This. sliding tubemay be divided into compartments by one or several diaph-ragmsp. It containsin its lower part,

the detonator n already mentioned, and in its upper part a second similar detonator 01 The latter when the tube 0 is placed in the tube 0 is a hollow percussion screw 9, screwed into the upper threaded portion of the guide tube 0. This screw in order to be easily manipulated is provided with wings or with a small collar 9 permitting of moving it when the upper part of the cap Z) is removed. Between this screw and the upper part of the sliding tube 0 is placed a strong safety spring 8 preventing the impact of the tube 0 against the screw 9 at the moment of departure.

A fixing screw 7" is arranged in the cap I), b and, passes by an opening of thetube 0 so as to be able .to fix and maintain in position the sliding tube 0, carrying the detonators n-n-K During the transport of the shell the tube o'bearing the primary charge, is kept separately for instance, in a case or in a sealed zinc tube. For the transport the firing screw i is also replaced as already stated by an ordinary tight closing screw. At the moment of firing, after removal of the cap Z), one slides into the guide-tube 0, which is surrounded by the ordinary charge of the projectile occupying the principal space t the sliding tube 0 provided with the detonators n, W. This tube 0 comes to rest on the elastic pad 9. Thereupon the spring .9 is placed on the top of it, and the end of the guide tube is closed by means of the wing-screw 9 Then on the base 6 of the cap, the upper part of this cap is screwed and one removes the screw closing the cavity 2' and replaces same by the firingscrew i, as shown in the drawing.

The shell is then ready for firing. At the moment of firing the fixing screw 1" is removed before placing the shell into the gun, if the shell is to work by instantaneous percussion; on the other hand, it is left in position if the shell is to burst with retardation so as to have the effect of a mine. At. the time of firing when the shell strikes the target, the sliding tube 0 moving along the guide-tube 0 strikes the screw 9 which brings about the ignition of the detonator n provided the screw 1' has been removed in the manner already indicated. If for any reason this mode of ignition should not work, the lower fuse h intervenes. That is to say, in consequence of the pressure of the gasses at the departure the detonating cylinder 2' carried by the firing screw 2' strikes the percussion cap 2" at the moment of the departure of the projectile. The detonating cylinder thus brings about the'ignition of the detonating composition contained in the groove 13, and the latter, at the end of a certain time the second detonator n. In this case the shell explodes with the efi ect of a mine some moments after its arrival at the target.

The same thing happens if one desires that the bursting of the shell should take place with retardation the fixing screw 1" is tightened up and this screw prevents the displacement of the sliding tube 0 and consequently the ignition by the percussion screw f/ at the time of impact.

The double firing device, consisting on the one hand of the percussion screw Q and on the other hand 01"? the fuse /2 enables one to prevent duds in as complete a manner as possible; on the other hand, the distribution of the primary charge over a large area and in depth as well as the volume of the detonation 'n, 0? enable one to obtain a particularly great speed of detonation.

The conical and pointed form of the head of the shell, not only constitutes a piece which is easily machined, but its great length moreover, enables the shell to burst by per cussion almost on the level of the soil, whilst ofi'ering very little resistance to the air.

Claims.

1. In a shell, in combination with the body of the shell and with the principal charge contained in this shell, a guide-tube arranged in the centre of this shell between the base and the cap of the shell, a movable auxiliary tube containing a primary charge and two detonators, one at the upper part and the other at the lower part of the said tube, this tube being able to slide in the guide-tube, and means for determining the ignition of one or other of these two detonators.

2. In a shell in combination with the body of the shell, and with the principal charge contained in this shell, a guide-tube ac ranged in the centre of the said shell. between the base and the cap of the shell, a movable auxiliary tube containing a pri' mary charge and two detonators, one at the upper part and the other at the lower part of the said tube, this tube being able to slide in the guide-tube, a percussion screw placed in the upper part of the shell and capable of acting on this detonator placed in the upper part of the sliding tube a spring intercalated between this screw and the sliding tube, so as to prevent any untimely displacement of this tube, a screw for fixing the said tube and a supplementary fuse placed in the base of the shell.

3. In a shell, in combination with the body of the shell, and with the principal charge contained in the said shell, a removable cap fixed on the body of the shell, a tube arranged in the centre of this shell between the base and the dismountable cap an auxiliary movable tube containing a primary charge and two detonators, one at the upper and the other at the lower part of the said tube, this tube being able to slide in the guide-tube a percussion screw placed in the cap of the shell and able to act on the detonator placed in the upper part of the sliding tube, a spring intercalated be tween this screw and the sliding tube so as to prevent any untimely displacement of this tube, a fixing screw for the said tube and a supplementary fuse placed in the base of the shell, this fuse having a groove containing a detonating composition, a percussion cap placed at the end of this groove and aremovable fire-bearing screw.

4. In a shell, in combination with the body of the shell and with the principal charge contained in this shell, a cap screwed on this shell, the said cap comprising a base pierced by a threaded hole and an upper part of conical shape screwed on the base a guide-tube screwed into the threaded hole of the cap in the centre of the body of the shell, an elastic pad intercalated between tween the lower end of this guide-tube and the base or bottom of the body of the shell, a movable auxiliary tube capable of being slidden into the guide-tube, this tube be ing divided into separate compartments containing a primary charge a detonator placed in the upper part and a detonator placed in the lower part of this movable tube, a percussion screw screwed into the upper end of the guide-tube, this screw being provided with operating parts and being accessible when the upper part of the cap is removed, a spring placed between this percussion screw and the upper part of the movable tube, so as to prevent any untimely displacement of this movable tube, a fixing screw for the said tube a supplementary fuse lodged in the base of the shell, this fuse having a part provided with a groove containing a detonating material, a percussion cap placed at the end of this groove, a hollow space capable of receiving a fire-bearing screw and an ordinary closing screw and a conduit establishing communication between the groove of the fuse with the detonator lodged in the lower part of the movable tube containing the primary charge, the whole substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEON GOUROUBLE.

\Vitnesses:

F. J. BRiiAUX, EMILE German. 

